Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Yomarjorie.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yomarjoriexe2x80x99.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made in February, 2000 of two unidentified proprietary Chrysanthemum selections, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in November, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yomarjorie has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yomarjoriexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yomarjoriexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright, mounded and rounded plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.
3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
4. Duplex-type inflorescences.
5. Purple-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored disc florets.
6. Natural season flowering in early to mid-October in the Northern Hemisphere.
In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent selections primarily in ray floret color and inflorescence form.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Lorikeet, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,586. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Lorikeet in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of the cultivar Lorikeet.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Lorikeet.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had conspicuous disc florets whereas plants of the cultivar Lorikeet did not have conspicuous disc florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Megan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,756. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Megan in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of the cultivar Megan.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Megan.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Megan.
4. Ray floret color of the new Chrysanthemum was slightly darker than ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Megan.